1. What is Gear Ratio?

The gear ratio is the ratio of the number of teeth on the driven gear to the number of teeth on the driver gear. It determines the mechanical advantage and speed relationship between two meshing gears.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:

Where:

• Teeth on Driven Gear — Number of teeth on the output gear
• Teeth on Driver Gear — Number of teeth on the input gear

Explanation: A gear ratio greater than 1 indicates a reduction (torque increase, speed decrease), while a ratio less than 1 indicates a multiplication (speed increase, torque decrease).

3. Importance of Gear Ratio

Details: Gear ratios are crucial in mechanical systems for determining speed, torque, and power transmission characteristics. They're used in vehicles, machinery, clocks, and many other mechanical systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of teeth for both driven and driver gears. Both values must be positive integers (minimum 1 tooth).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a 3:1 gear ratio mean?
A: It means the driven gear rotates once for every three rotations of the driver gear, providing increased torque but reduced speed.

Q2: How does gear ratio affect speed?
A: Higher gear ratios (e.g., 4:1) result in slower output speed but greater torque, while lower ratios (e.g., 1:2) increase speed but reduce torque.

Q3: What's the difference between gear ratio and velocity ratio?
A: They're essentially the same when considering ideal gears without slip, but velocity ratio can account for actual operating conditions.

Q4: Can gear ratio be less than 1?
A: Yes, this indicates the output gear rotates faster than the input gear (speed increase, torque decrease).

Q5: How do multiple gears affect the overall ratio?
A: For multiple gear pairs, multiply the individual ratios to get the overall ratio (e.g., 2:1 and 3:1 becomes 6:1 overall).